Petit Mouton - Pauillac 2020

Vinous

94-94

par Neal Martin le 28/02/2025

The 2020 Le Petit Mouton has a seductive bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and pencil lead, seeming to gain precision in the glass—very classic in style. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet core of cassis and blackberry fruit, very composed and very pure. A cashmere-textured finish fans out gloriously. This is a seriously fine Pauillac for long-term cellaring (written before its identity was revealed). Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Wine Advocate

93

par William Kelley le 06/04/2023

The 2020 Le Petit Mouton benefits from the fact that the grand vin this year derives almost exclusively from the estate's core gravel terraces, meaning that many parcels that were included in, for example, the 2018 Mouton ended up in the Petit Mouton in 2020. Offering up aromas of cassis, cigar wrapper and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a broad attack and a layered, concentrated mid-palate.

Jeb DUNNUCK

94

par Jeb Dunnuck le 30/03/2023

The 2020 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild showed beautifully and is certainly up with the top second wines out there. In fact, it’s better than the Grand Vins of many châteaux. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in 50% new French oak, it offers a rich, powerful, concentrated, and medium to full-bodied style as well as ample darker currant and cassis fruits, some tobacco and spicy oak, a great mid-palate, and outstanding length on the finish. It’s approachable today yet will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and evolve for at least two decades.

Vinous

95

par Antonio Galloni le 24/02/2023

The 2020 Le Petit-Mouton is fabulous. Dark red plum, blood orange, pomegranate, mint and cinnamon all build as this flamboyant, striking Petit Mouton shows off its considerable charms. Even with the high percentage of Cabernet, the 2020 is supple and quite soft for a young wine. Bright acids perk up the mid-palate, leading to the brilliant, sculpted finish. This has come together beautifully with élevage.

Vinous

93

par Neal Martin le 15/02/2023

The 2020 Le Petit Mouton has less than 13% alcohol. It has an intense bouquet with black fruit, freshly-tilled loam, light estuarine scents and a touch of pressed violets. Very delineated and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, wonderful acidity and tension, very focused and mineral-driven towards the finish that is persistent. Graphite notes linger on the aftertaste. Superb.

TASTED

94

par Andreas Larsson le 06/07/2021

Very nice definition of cabernet and Pauillac, benchmark cassis, dark cherry, fine spice, tobacco, some fine coffee and mocha notes with great, freshness and length.

Vinous

92-94

par Antonio Galloni le 01/06/2021

The 2020 Le Petit-Mouton is a gorgeous wine, but it’s quite different in style from many previous editions because of a high proportion (72%) of Cabernet Sauvignon. Silky and aromatic, but also quite reticent, the 2020 is going to need time to give its best. Bright red berry fruit, blood orange and striking lift from the Cabernet Franc offer tons of appeal. I especially like the aromatics here.

Jeb DUNNUCK

93-95

par Jeb Dunnuck le 28/05/2021

The 2020 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild is another powerful, concentrated wine, especially in the vintage, and it has a pure, incredibly Cabernet Sauvignon-driven style. Lots of blackcurrants, liquid violets, graphite, and rocky mineral notes emerge on the nose, and this medium to full-bodied, tightly knit, concentrated, structured second wine is going to need a good 4-5 years of bottle age, yet should have two decades of longevity.

Vinous

92-94

par Neal Martin le 27/05/2021

The 2020 Le Petit Mouton, which contains a relatively higher level of Cabernet Sauvignon this year, represents 36% of the total production. It has a wonderful, entrancing bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, freshly tilled soil, cedar and emerging floral scents of iris petal and incense. I love the energy on this not so "petit" Mouton. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and perfectly judged acidity, harmonious and poised with superb mineralité and tension toward the finish. So sophisticated. This is (yet another) great Le Petit Mouton.

Decanter.com

93

par Jane Anson le 25/05/2021

A serious Petit Mouton, with inky depths to the colour, and plenty of tannic hold and bite, with a lovely bitter chocolate brownie feel that steals up on you through the palate. less sexy and exuberant than in some years perhaps, but this is extremely rewarding, with waves of grilled cocoa beans and intense black fruits.

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96

par Jeff Leve le 21/05/2021

Elegant, sophisticated, long, clean and expansive, this is showing just great due to all its layers of perfectly ripe, red fruits, silky tannins, length and freshness. There is a real verve here, with concentration, sweetness, lift and complexity allowing the wine to age and evolve. The finish leaves you with more of those sweet, ripe, juicy berries. Today the second wine of Mouton Rothschild is superior to every vintage of Mouton produced in the 70s and in most of the 80s! The wine blends 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.1% ABV. 94-96

Wine Advocate

91-93

par Lisa Perrotti-Brown le 20/05/2021

The 2020 Le Petit Mouton is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, weighing in with 13.1% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes galloping out of the glass with exuberant notes of ripe blackcurrants, fresh blackberries and kirsch, plus suggestions of Indian spices, clove oil and chocolate box, plus a fragrant suggestion of lilacs. The medium-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the tight-knit red and black berry layers, finishing long with a peppery kick.

Anthocyanes

93-95

par Yohan Castaing le 11/05/2021

Légèrement fumé, fruits noirs, épices avec un boisé léger et grillé. Bouche tannique, puissance contenue, un léger boisé élégant, du volume avec des tanins structurants et fermes. Très belle définition pour un Petit Mouton de caractère, d'affirmation et de singularité. Très cabernet dans sa construction. Pour dans 15 ans, pas avant.

Bernard Burtschy

94-95

par Bernard Burtschy le 10/05/2021

Falstaff

93-95

par Peter Moser le 10/05/2021

Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, breitere Randaufhellung. Zarte Edelholznuancen, schwarze Waldbeeren, ein Hauch von Cassis, frische Orangenz- esten, etwas Nougat. Saftig, elegant, reife Herzkirschen, zarte Fruchtsüße, reife Tan- nine, ein Hauch von Nougatkaramell im Abgang, ein facettenreicher, harmonischer Speisenbegleiter.

My Bettane + Desseauve

94-95

par Bettane & Desseauve le 07/05/2021

Jamessuckling.com

97-98

par James Suckling le 04/05/2021

This is very, very layered with gorgeous fruit and velvety tannins. Hints of chocolate. Full-bodied and chewy with soft, fine tannins. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot and 4% cabernet franc. Gorgeous second wine.